The Flightless Archangel
by MarioFireRed
Summary: In a post-apocalyptic Elrios, one angel descends with a mission: rid the continent of demons and restore peace. His task isn't easy, as its filled with deception, death, and destruction. Joining a small group of rebels, truths uncover and morals are questioned. And one Crow must make the ultimate decision. Drama/Angst/Suspense/Tragedy/Adventure/Friendship
1. Chapter 1: An Archangel Descends

**Me: Alright got an epic story up! Hope that anyone who actually waited for this story after I teased it in the forums is finally happy XD!**

**Mario: So what's this story about?**

**Me: To be honest I actually thought up this story right after Red Stained, an Archangel who acts as a savior to save humanity from the demons.**

**Mario: So who's this Archangel?**

**Me: Raven.**

**Raven: WHAT?! **

**Me: Mhm. Raven's class is Veteran Commander. The other characters and their classes will slowly be introduced as the story progresses.**

**Crystal: It's not like you to use stock plots for chapter fanfics Fire.**

**Me: Well as usual I'm adding my own spin onto things. What that spin is in this story is entirely up to the readers to decipher. For now Chapter 1, START!**

* * *

_Chapter 1: An Archangel Descends_

_Above the lifeless black skies a paradise awaits. Some may call it Heaven. Others simply refer to it as the Afterlife. In the land of Elrios however, six El Masters the people worshiped as "Gods" rule above from a grand palace of clouds. The humble and passionate Fire God Rosso, the spiritual Earth God Gaia, the intelligent and logical Water God Denip, the open-minded Wind God Ventus, the warm and down-to-earth Sun God Solace, and the sweet and comforting Moon God Ibelen. Ever since the super continent known as Elrios was formed each of the six gods divided themselves among the two smaller continents within it: Rosso, Denip, and Ventus in the western side Rurensia and Gaia, Solace, and Ibelenin the eastern side Pluone. However their peace over Elrios didn't last long._

_The two sides of Gods were in conflict with one another, too wrapped up in their petty arguments to notice a third party: the Demons and the Demon Invasion. Thanks to their incompetence the leader of the new species, the Swordsman of Darkness Ran, conquered all of Pluone and has most of Rurensia under his rule. Gallons of blood shed from the numerous village raids and slaughter of the citizens inside. Only a remote faction, Ruben, stayed free of any control of darkness thanks to the small fragment of pure El it holds._

_Now the Eastern and Western Gods are forced to work together in spite once more to combat this threat. Rosso's student, a black-winged flightless Archangel, is sent in their place to the human world of Elrios. This young angel turns to page one of what will be a long and treacherous journey._

* * *

"Raven!" The Archangel's master called for him at his study room, nearly causing the young adult to knock over one of the many bookcases over the startled yell. He let out an exasperated groan from being torn away from his reading time and reluctantly entered the his teacher's quarters, flicking away the red highlights of his hair out of his eyes.

"Yes your Majesty?" The waist-length black-haired high-ranked angel sarcastically called as he entered inside, staring his master down with golden eyes. "What do you want from me Rosso?" Raven asked in his usual gruff voice and stretched out his Nasod Arm, a mechanical limb still present even after ascending from the human world of Elrios, and addressed his mentor casually.

"It seems the time has come for you to finally go down and save Elrios from the Demons." The Fire El Master decided for the young adult-looking angel, finally closing the book he was reading and stroked that long brown beard of his which slightly disturbed the young black-winged angel, who was clean-shaven.

"Tch, it's about damn time too!" This time Raven stretched his jet black wings, groomed carefully to look high and mighty despite being unable to fly. "I can't believe it actually took four years of training here to finally descend and quench those dark bastards! All of this because of a petty argument between you Gods, I mean what the hell were you chastising each other about anyway?"

"It's a thing from the past now Raven." The El Master stood from his desk and outside his chambers into the main hallway, beckoning his student to follow. "For now, we need to assess you one last time in order to determine whether or not you are strong enough to endure the dangers below."

The Archangel snorted audibly and paced alongside Rosso through this grand palace. He already knew the answer to his master's statement, that Raven is indeed strong enough to face the challenges. It was because he was formally a human of Elrios until the Invasion took the lives of both him and his lover Seris. Unlike her the former leader of the Crow Mercenaries, a group of warriors who fight for the good of the world, was given a second chance when his reincarnated form in the Heavens transformed into that of an angel of the highest rank, the Archangel. This came with a price however. That being because he was a human of mixed morals due to his last actions in his past life, Raven's wings were colored black and deemed incapable of flight.

Unlike his master Raven felt determined to purge the demons in Elrios to atone for what he did as a leader in Velder despite his cold aloof attitude. One word continuously raced across Raven's mind, describing the reason for his consent to tread Elrios once more as well as fulfill his mission given by the Gods of the super continent themselves. The black-winged angel glanced sideways to his mentor, quickly deducing through his solemn expression and mimicking heavy footsteps that he and Rosso shared the same thought. It's just as the old saying goes: Like teacher, like student. As they approach the entrance outside the palace, Raven opened the door with only a simple thought echoing in his head.

_Redemption._

* * *

The other Guardians of the Rurensia side of Elrios, Denip and Ventus, awaited the two outside, a portal lying beyond them. Like Rosso, the respectively named Water and Wind El Masters both appear like aged sages in a robe symbolic of their chosen El Master element. Upon reaching them Raven summoned his steel black Gun Blade, which he uses as a regular blade for mercenary reasons, and rested it over his shoulder.

"Alright so what's my assessment?" Instead of wasting time the Archangel bluntly skipped straight to the point, not caring about how disrespectful that cold attitude of his affects the three Gods.

"It's simple, but it has three parts to it." The cool-headed Denip explained, handing Raven a stack of paper. "Your first task is to take this test and pass it.

"What." The black-winged angel couldn't comprehend this. The fact that to purge the demons in Elrios, he has to take a written test. "Why the hell would I need to do this?"

"While you resided here in the Palace above the Clouds, there came no time to test your tactical and intellectual skills in battle when only four of us live in this section on top of Rurensia. Based on previous battles spent against the Demons in Elrios, I've prepared this test to show whether or not you can be an effective tactician or even leader in battle."

Raven groaned, he hasn't taken a physical written exam since high school. Lord knows how long ago THAT was! Instead of complaining how this portion of the assessment is detrimental to saving Elrios, the Archangel grew a pair and started taking the test. _W-Wait a minute? The subjects in this exam are similar to the books I read back at the Hall of Records! _He realized, recalling to the studies he was reading before getting called over by "Sir El Master Rosso" as his teacher puts it. Utilizing his memory as a guide, the Archangel then swiftly wrote down the correct answers on the paper and handed it back to the Water El Master.

"Here, I hope it's satisfactory enough for you." Raven handed Denip the test back, watching the Water El Master flip through the pages swiftly as the latter's face grew grimmer and grimmer. Finally after reaching the end of the stack of papers Denip started to weep in sadness, prompting the Archangel to worriedly glance at the Rosso and Ventus, who merely stood solemn.

"Raven...you...you..." The black-haired angel turned his attention back at Denip, who according to his saddened voice is about to declare his failure.

"I what? WHAT?" Raven stared with pleading eyes, later changing to anguished red ones at the Water El Master's tongue sticking-out impression.

"YOU PASS!" Denip declared, with nods of agreement from the other two Gods Rosso and Ventus.

"O-Oh tch, yeah of course I would pass." The Archangel cleared his throat and curtly reassured his passing grade.

"That's another lesson you should know Raven. Not everyone may agree with your plan, but going through with it regardless may be more beneficial than they initially thought."

"Okay enough with the life lesson what's the second part?" He brushed away the red highlights of his black hair off his face and faced at Ventus, which the other two pointed at. "So Ventus, what's it gonna be this time?"

"Alright then, my test is a typical social conversation." The open-minded and more upbeat El Master explained. "You're definitely going to be traveling with others during your journey and you better be sure you can communicate with them properly. In a land ridden with darkness, you really want more friends than foes during your quest."

"Fine, fine." Raven was already well-versed with this, remembering the many exchanges he had over his years alive with his comrades in the Crow Mercenaries and especially his fiance Seris.

"Okay then." Ventus cleared his throat and started the conversation. "So you're the new guy in town huh? What the hell is up with those wings?" The Wind El Master assumed a stock rebellious teen boy voice.

_Not only is he open-minded, but also an entity of a thousand voices as well? _The Archangel thought, having practiced this routine often as well. He flattened his wings as to assume not meaning any harm. "They're for show, nothing more and nothing less." He mimicked the gruff attitude.

"Okay. But how do we know you're not one of the demons sent in as a human spy? Those cosmetics on your back are suspiciously jet black."

"Can those demons do THIS?!" Raven pretended dramatically coming into contact with the pure El, a blue crystal of light that repels any being that belongs to the darkness. "There I can touch the El unharmed, now do you believe me?"

"Tch I guess so, but we'll keep you under our careful watch rookie!" Ventus immediately changed his serious negotiator look back to his original happily content one. "You pass as well!"

"Once again that's pretty easy." Raven scratched parts of his waist-long hair that itched for the past few minutes and finally turned to his master, Rosso.

"As usual I will be your final opponent!" To the Archangel's facepalm, the passionate Fire El Master got too hung up on his words and dramatically pulled out his sword in slow motion. Raven on the other hand already has his Gun Blade and Nasod Arm equipped.

"Finally just what I needed to be assessed by: a good old fashioned battle!" Unlike the first two parts of the assessment, Raven felt exhilarated at fighting his master, who taught him how to incorporate his Nasod Arm and even his blade with destructive fire. The two assumed a fighting stance while the other two El Masters watched from afar like referees in a sports match.

"AND BEGIN!" Just like a true umpire Ventus declared the sparring match to begin. To make the fight fair, the Archangel refrained from using any of his skills as Rosso isn't as adept in the training regimens as the younger demigod.

The Archangel started by shooting a missile from his mechanical arm right at the Fire El Master and dashed towards him. Rosso countered by deflecting it right back at Raven, who did the same while spamming out three more Nasod missiles. This quickly turned into a test of reflexes as the two continuously parried the four projectiles as the black-winged angel rapidly closed the distance between them.

CLANG! SLASH! CLANG! SLASH! The metallic sounds of the dueling swords echoed repeatedly through the air as both teacher and student never let up a single step parrying with their swords, Raven performing some improvising and countered several shots with his mechanical arm. This would've been continued forever as both the Fire El Master and the Archangel showed no signs of stopping...until...

CLICK! BOOM! Raven clicked a button on his Nasod Arm prompting the quartet of missiles to explode in black smoke, surprising Rosso. Seizing the opportunity the Archangel dashed towards the dazed Fire El Master and spammed bursts of fire from the arm straight at the God, causing him to flinch in pain and fall backwards.

His victory declared, Raven stopped firing flames from the Nasod Arm and switched to a passive stance. "So is it finally time I can go save Elrios now?" His golden eyes gleamed in confidence.

"Yes, ahem." Rosso cleared his throat and stood up, wiping away the soot left behind on his flame-patterned robe from the fiery attack. With nods of agreement from Denip and Ventus, the trio of elemental El Masters led the Archangel to the portal he noticed earlier. "This will take you to the only safe faction in Elrios, Ruben." He explained briefly, content that his student can piece the rest of the puzzle by himself.

_A remote city that contains the only pure El in existence as of now. I wonder why the demons just send their snipers to shoot the crystal and break it? Ruben must have some good security if those creatures of darkness never tried it. _Raven thought to himself, gazing at the swirling blue portal. "Would I still be able to communicate with you three and the other Gods of Elrios once I enter back in the human realm?"

"No, however we will try our best to convince Gaia, Solace, and Ibelen to set aside our differences and aid humanity's stand against the Demons." The Archangel's Master confirmed as the other two nodded.

"Alrighty then," Raven smirked and jumped through the portal, "let's see what this new Elrios is like!" The Archangel disappeared in the portal to Elrios, starting his descent back in the human realm.

"Hey Rosso, are you content that you didn't tell your student the whole truth? It would've been logical to at least tell him what us Gods were arguing about before the Demons invaded." Denip chastised the leader of the three El Masters for keeping that secret from the Archangel.

"No need to burden him with the mistakes we made Denip. For now let's make due on our promise and pay a visit to the Earth, Sun, and Moon Gods of Elrios. Hopefully they put the past behind them as we did."

"I don't know...Gaia especially is not one to put things behind him." Ventus pointed out the Earth El Master's tendency to bring up the past quite often.

"Well we don't need that kind of habit when Rurensia and Pluone are both at stake from being consumed in the darkness, nor do we need to know how Raven would react if we told him why we were in conflict in the first place." Rosso dropped the conversation altogether. "Now come on, this will be a long journey for us too." He beckoned the Water and Wind El Masters to follow him on the long cloudy pathway to the Pluone Cloud Palace.

* * *

_Okay great this portal just happened to drop me in the Ruben Forest. _Raven noticed, irritably removing tree branches that got caught on his black wings. "Now...which way is Ruben?" The Archangel muttered to himself, flattening his wings in an effort to make them less noticeable. He stalks through the ground, humming a strange tune as he pretends to scratch his "stubble" when he notices a village up ahead.

_That must be it! Still have to proceed with caution, who knows how trustworthy these new humans are. _Raven remembered that unlike his previous human incarnation, the world of Elrios is predominantly tainted with darkness rather than peace and prosperity. He continued treading through the eerily silent forest until finally making his way to Ruben and taking in the sights.

The Archangel's never been to Ruben, but at least he knows that the normally happily content people of the small village didn't live in a deserted wasteland. Not a single soul stirred outside as the lone black-winged angel glanced around the broken down houses and trash littered on the ground. _This is like the outskirts of Velder, the ones the royals called a "Ghetto". _Raven compared the poor state of Ruben to another neighborhood he remembered from the past.

Suddenly the bushes near him rustled, prompting the Archangel to turn in that direction. Out of it spewed three kids no older than 11, all charging at him with wild looks on their eyes and wooden swords.

"DEMON! FOUND A DEMON!"

"THIS IS FOR MURDERING MY MOTHER!"

"PROTECT RUBEN! RAWWRR!"

The little boys and girl's tones were all serious as they bared their teeth at Raven. It saddened the black-winged angel that children at this age and time were forced to fend for themselves, rather than live happily content with the knowledge that their parents can protect them. "How far bleak has this world gotten that even Ruben isn't safe?" He muttered to himself as the kids failed to damage him.

CLUNK! CLUNK! Raven stood there while the kids whacked him with the wooden blades, oblivious that they were harmless to the battle-hardened Archangel. Instead he merely death glared at them to stay away and performed a light warning blow with the blunt of his Gun Blade at the two boys that weren't threatened.

"Tch, this guy's tougher than we thought! Boss we need you!" One of the boys called out for their supposed leader. Once again the bushes ruffled as someone approached the the four. Upon seeing him on sight, the Archangel compared him to the striking similarity he shared with one of his former Crow Mercenaries, Jackal.

The newcomer was indeed older than the three little kids but only by a few years as he was a teenager. This rebellious spiky crimson-haired teen glared at Raven, eying his jet-black wings, with his fiery red eyes with a scowl. He wielded two blades by his side with ease and wore red and black clothes: a tank top and pants with an array of swords surrounding his hips. His steel shoes stamped the ground with a metallic thud step by step until he finally regrouped with the three kids.

"T-That's the demon boss! Make him pay!" The other boy pointed at the Archangel while his friends nodded.

"Tch how low can you damn demons get?" The crimson teen scowled and bared his teeth more menacingly than the kids did at Raven. "Attacking little children?" He pointed one of his swords at the black-winged angel. "Scum like you should pay with blood!" His eyes widened like a wild animal, ready to kill and eat his prey.

"Hold on!" Raven challenged back, careful not to sound like an enemy. "I came here to purge the Demons from Elrios, not pick a fight with some kids and their teenaged boss! What's your name anyway?"

The teenager smirked and introduced himself. "My name is Elsword, also known as the Infinity Sword. Who the hell are you?"

* * *

**Mario: Cliffhangers. Oh how they return.**

**Me: XD I know. So now we have a Veteran Commander and Infinity Sword. Bet you guys are wondering how the rest of the Elgang will fit into this. Well...that's up to me to decide :3! Until then leave your thoughts on this story on a review while I'm gonna have to be in some hotel for 3-5 days, so expect me back by like...Monday (DAMMIT AND WHEN DIMENSION WITCH IS OUT FOR A FEW DAYS TOO! GONNA HAVE TO GRIND GRIND GRIND TO GET HER!)**


	2. Chapter 2: The Broken Knights

**Me: Alright why did I never think of this before. Next time I'm stuck on some place I could always just send a document here at Doc Manager XD!**

**Mario: It took you 19 stories and 5 months to finally be this smart huh Fire? Anyway what happens now?**

**Crystal: You will know once you read it Mario.**

**Tinker: Mhm Mhm! C'mon Robo Birdie, reading's good for your health!**

**Me: Indeed. Anyway...Chapter 2, START!**

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_Chapter 2: The Broken Knights_

"I am Raven, an Archangel sent by the Gods to eradicate the demons!" The black-winged angel introduced himself assertively to Elsword and his supposed little gang of children. Raven felt the piercing of air as the Infinity Sword drew closer with immeasurable speed as the latter pressed cold metal at the unflinching Archangel's throat.

"You can spout petty claims or boast acts of justice all you want _angel_!" The crimson-haired teen threatened Raven, intensifying his scowl at the word "angel". "Why the hell should any of us trust you!" He asked with venom present in his voice.

"The same should be applied to you!" Raven challenged gruffly, pushing the tip of one of Elsword's blades away using his Nasod Arm. "You seem very shady yourself, plus what's with that black tint of darkness in your hair?" Two sets of eyes, one golden and the other crimson red, glaring at each other as if they were sworn enemies.

"At least I'm a human being who can suppress the darkness and quench the demons out there!" The Infinity Sword scoffed back at the Archangel. "I'm not some freak with a mechanical arm just like those Nasods then have the audacity to actually proclaim myself a savior for mankind! Unlike me no one knows about you, not even these kids!" At the mention of them the trio of children instantly nodded vigorously in agreement with their leader.

_Like a pack of domesticated dogs trained to heed their master's every command._ Raven noticed, their bleak eyes in stark contrast to Elsword's more livelier and fiery ones. "So you know that my left arm is of a Nasod product. How would a human like you in a remote area like Ruben know about this?" He questioned the spiky-haired crimson teen.

"Tch..." Elsword hesitated and sheathed his swords, Raven knew he won this battle for now. "Fine I trust you're on our side but make no mistake!" He sent the three kids to walk ahead back to their hideout, the crimson teen threatening the Archangel one more time. "If I notice you defecting to the other side in any way, I'll kill you on the spot and protect my comrades!" With an audible snort and grunt the Infinity Sword motioned Raven to follow. "Follow me. We might as well give you a place to stay, even if you're our prisoner."

"I understand." Raven complied with no complaints, understanding of Elsword's reasoning. _I would've done the same if an enemy soldier tried to convince one of our men that he's a new recruit of the Crow Mercenaries when it was still alive. _The Archangel thought to himself as their two sets of footsteps, both steel, trampled the dead grass beneath them as they made their way back into the Ruben Forest.

Several moments pass in silence as dusk transformed into night with the illuminating moon as evidence. Raven continued trekking after Elsword, the two occasionally jumping over a fallen log here and there. Even in Ruben nature lost its battle against the darkness and the leafless barren trees displayed it. It was only after Elsword's comment that they were nearing their destination that the black-winged angel disrupted their otherwise empty walk.

"Hey." The Archangel broke the silence. "From the way we're walking, is your hideout located in that gigantic tree over there?" The two glanced up at the faintly bluish glowing tree located in the heart of the forest, like a mother overlooking her many children, and continued walking.

"No way! How'd you guess!" Elsword retorted back in a very sarcastic manner, spitting on the ground after that over the top answer.

"If you don't mind me asking, I have two questions for you Elsword."

_Well the children are way out of earshot. Good, any burden brought up by this guy's so-called questions is mine alone to bear. _The crimson teenager thought, assuring himself. "Alright then, blast away _Archangel_."

"Okay then first question. How many people do you have in this group of rebels do you have with you Elsword?" Raven asked stoically, careful that the Infinity Sword doesn't glimpse his curious golden eyes should he turn around.

Elsword let out a drawn out sigh before responding. "If you include me and those three kids...there's one other person, our mechanic, which leaves us with five members."

_So little...are the six of us enough to eradicate the Demons from Elrios? _Raven thought bleakly, not even imaging that the number of recruits in Elsword's rebel group is less than 1/5 of the former Crow Mercenaries. He shook his mind out of that and began to ask the second question. "So the blue light coming from the tree. Is it the Pure El?"

"Yes. It's only as big as that tree over there now, and the only source that allows us to trek into the darkness that engulfed the rest of Elrios." The crimson-haired teenager answered bluntly, pointing to a tree in similar height to the Archangel.

"I see..." The black-winged angel flicked away the red highlights of his hair away from his eyes and flattened his wings as the two drew closer to the Tree of El, as Elsword names it. "What about the other residents in Ruben, what happened to them?"

"I thought I was going to answer two questions!" Elsword scowled, reminding the curious Archangel in a gruff voice. Suddenly he stopped and turned around to Raven in the most distrusting face you could pull off. "Here we are, the remnants of the Tree of El.

* * *

The rebel group's supposed hideout was even less organized than the Archangel thought. The group's hideout, Elsword dubbing the group the "Red Knights", was nothing more than a more run down version of post-apocalyptic Ruben. Raven grimaced and walked around the broken wooden bits called a floor, recalling the burning oil drums people on the streets of Velder used for warmth, and scanned the vicinity for the remaining members. Right away he spotted the three kids, the two boys sparring with each other with the wooden swords as the girl merely spectated from the sidelines.

"You want to meet our mechanic?" The crimson leader bluntly asked Raven without turning around, giving advice to the trio of children while waiting for his answer.

"Yes. We'll need all the help we can get if humanity is going to reclaim Elrios from the Demons." The Archangel nodded.

Elsword returned the nod and the two walked towards a silver haired woman donned in a metallic black suit with pink highlights as if it was a short dress. The woman tinkered with her black and white drones armored with blades similar to the design of her "wings" with black gloves protecting her. Her thigh-high boots with the same design as her suit tapped the floor in irritation and impatience of the black drone's constant tendency to shy away from being repaired.

"Hey Eve." The Infinity Sword addressed the silver-haired mechanic.

"What is it now Elsword, I'm too busy for one of your games." Eve curtly responded, noticing the Archangel beside Elsword. "Oh did you actually catch one of the Demons?"

"What?! I'm no demon!" Raven shouted back, flaring up his golden eyes at the insult.

The crimson teenager merely picked his ear in boredom in both of their responses. "No he isn't. Eve meet Raven, a self-proclaimed Archangel sent by the El Masters themselves. Raven meet Eve, our Nasod mechanic who would've bit the dust had I not rescued her back in Altera Core. She calls herself the Code Nemesis." He briefly introduced the two to each other, making hand motions along the way. "Now if you excuse me," Elsword left his more metallic sword on Eve's hands, bringing along the more materialized one, "Conwell and I ought to get some food for us." Without a second thought he dashed straight back into the bleak forest.

"Dammit Elsword wait! What am I supposed to repai-" Eve yelled to no avail. "Damn it not again..." She muttered to herself, picking up the blade and inspecting it at different angles for any signs in need of fixing.

"Here let me take a look at it." Raven offered, unconsciously outstretching his Nasod Arm instead of the one holding his own Gun Blade. "In the past I was once the leader of a mercenary group and have years of experience with swords, unlike your own who darted for the groves without a second thought."

CLANK! Eve widened her golden eyes at the sight of the arm and dropped the sword, gripping instead the aforementioned limb tightly. "You're...an incomplete Nasod." Her voice lowered to a whisper, however that didn't stop her angered tone.

"Incomplete Nasod? How would you know what a Nasod i-" Raven stopped himself as the blue orb on Eve's forehead shone brightly, a physical feature of hers Elsword either forgot to mention or didn't bother explaining.

"Who did this?! Moby! Reby! Analyze the arm, I want to find out the names of the traitors who gave this to you." The Code Nemesis called for her black drone then her white one. The two proceeded to prod the mechanical limb repeatedly with their blades for arms.

"H-Hey it's just a regular limb transplant! The fact that the arm and the surgeons were both Nasod is just pure coincidence!" Raven countered, fidgeting roughly to loosen Eve's hold on the arm.

"So how did you get this!"

"It's none of your business!" The Archangel pulled his arm out of her grasp in one swift motion. "Anyway what's with that sudden change in attitude? Are you a Nasod as well?"

SLAP! The next thing the black-winged angel knew he landed on the ground posterior first, wincing at the pain Eve's hand gave to his cheek as the woman stared him down fiercely. "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with, mere Archangel? I am the Queen of Nasods, Eve." The Nasod mechanic revealed her royal status.

"W-Wow you're a Queen Ms. Eve?" To both of their shock, the audibly air-piercing slap drew the three children over to their general location, who just received information about the mechanic's claim of royalty.

The Code Nemesis turned her attention to the suddenly cheerful little girl who gave the aforementioned outburst as the two boys were equally amazed. "Yes Anna I am, although it's been a very long time since my status has actually benefited me. Why don't you take Lowell and Harry with you and continue sparring until Elsword comes back." A total whiplash in tone. The black-winged angel was shocked but warmed at the Nasod Queen's motherly tone with the little girl.

_Anna, Lowell, and Harry. So those are the names of these three kids. _Raven thought absentmindedly, prodding himself up and patted his clothes dust-free.

"O-Okay!" The pink-haired Anne attempted to lead the two boys to the "Sparring Arena" of their hideout (mainly just elevated ground with softer patches of grass than the rest of the place), beckoning them to follow as if they were livestock.

"What about Elsword? I thought he was gonna teach us some new fighting moves today!" Lowell, the impatient gray-haired boy, let out a sigh as the two followed Anna.

"Well we just need to make ourselves stronger until he gets back then." The brown-haired Harry answered his friend, who snorted in contempt as they fade away from a distance.

"Such idealistic children." Raven commented on their behavior just now, which was a stark contrast to the wild and animalistic one they displayed when they first met the Archangel several moments ago. "How could this bleak world transform three perfectly normal kids into soldiers ready to kill without any second guessing?"

"Did you ever notice that there was no one in Ruben village, not even a single trace of human life or a body?" Eve's question surprised the Archangel, he didn't expect anyone to answer him at all. Clank! Clank! The Code Nemesis sighed in relief when she finally inspected the crimson teenager's sword long enough to notice something to fix, ordering her drones instructions to repair it back into top condition.

"Yes. Until those kids showed up to "attack" me, not a soul stirred back in the town."

"It's just like all the demon raids. Several of them barged in and killed all the inhabitants, including the mother and fathers of those children." Clang! Moby's audibly loud repair of the blade filled the silence that followed.

"I understand now. So now they want revenge on the demons for taking the lives of their guardians."

"It's more than that. I myself don't know much of the details to know exactly what happened and the children were obviously too young or blinded by vengeance to remember it. If you want to know exactly why he formed this rebel group called the Red Knights, ask Elsword himself." After her monotone speech Eve inspected the sword once more, confirming it to be complete.

Rustle! Rustle! The bushes where Elsword departed danced roughly as a red patch of hair struggled to overcome the obstacle it possessed. Splat! Right as he gave up the Infinity Sword finally crossed the bushes...after he crash landed into the last one. "Phew! Plaugh! Damn Nature!" The crimson teenager cursed at himself, spewing out stray leaves out of his mouth and coming back to the grins the two sets of golden eyes greeted him with.

"Speak of the devil! I assume the hunting expedition didn't go so well?" Eve smirked deviously much to Elsword's chagrin. The Infinity Sword knew the Nasod Queen would use this as blackmail evidence sometimes down the road.

"Shut up Eve! And don't butt in Raven!" He irritably spoke before calming down and returning back to the green patches of nature. "C'mon c'mon where the hell is it?!" Elsword struggled to part away the leaves of the bushes as he inspects the area thoroughly. The Archangel glanced beside him to notice Eve's cheeks faintly tinting red at the sight of the Infinity Sword bending over.

_Ah so the Nasod mechanic has a thing for the leader of the Red Knights? I wouldn't be surprised, a Nasod in her early production years having feelings for the only male who happens to be around her age. _It's Raven's turn to gather blackmail against the Code Nemesis.

"Alright here it is!" Elsword happily announced, holding what appears to be a wooden basket in his hands above his head while clicking his heels together in joy. Once again forgetting and regretting that the Archangel and Nasod Queen the Infinity Sword quickly paced over to the mechanic's workshop table and firmly placed the basket there while retrieving his sword.

"So what's in the basket?" Raven asked, if only because Eve's too busy mentally recovering from that image of Elsword.

"Food, what else?" Elsword bluntly answered, inspecting the metallic sword if the repair was a success. "I managed to find some bushes still ripe with berries somehow thanks to the pure El's radiance. And I may or may not have killed some wild Phorus that managed to stray over here." He ended with an evil gleam in his crimson eyes.

"Okay, but where did you get the basket?"

"Man for a self-proclaimed Archangel you ask a lot of questions huh?" The Infinity Sword sighed then switched his attention to Eve. "Anyway thanks for the repair Ev- hey are you feeling alright?"

The Code Nemesis suddenly tensed up and cleared her throat. "Yes I'm fine Elsword. Anyway answer Raven's question." Back to her usual stoic tone, albeit with a little stuttering here and there.

"Fine. A strange girl gave it to me when I asked her how I was supposed to carry all these rations."

"And you didn't recruit her with your group why?" Raven asked as Elsword suddenly hid his eyes in his hair.

"...CRAP WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!"

"..." The two stood motionless as the Infinity Sword scratched his hair furiously for a few moments. After his mini-rant ended Elsword took the basket and started a campfire. "I'll go prepare the fire."

* * *

"You wanted to know what happened that day right?" Elsword asked Raven and Eve a few hours later. The moon rose at its highest point and the children already fell asleep. Those three on the other hand merely warmed themselves around the campfire.

"Yes, but you don't need to if it brings back terrible memories." The Archangel responded back as the Code Nemesis sat quietly intent to listen. _I understand his position fully, I'd be hesitant too if I have to reveal what happened back at Velder._

"Alright then. Here's how the story went." The Infinity Sword slowly inhaled and let out a deep breath.

"The raid occurred about a month ago." Elsword started bluntly and continued explaining as the campfire's flames flickered and illuminated the small area. "Over the past few weeks leading up to the eventual Ruben Massacre the residents of the town lived their lives and their final moments in fear. Fear about the constant news of the arrival of the Demons. Rumors spread as everyone, even the children, gossiped uneasily as if a demon spy disguised as one of them is just around the corner. This continued in a boiling pot, filling and filling up as it ran through fear and resentment of others. Ruben split into sides and the once peaceful town slowly transformed into one corrupt with midday dog fights, daily robberies, and constant headaches for the few peacemakers in the town."

"Then on that fateful day, the boiling pot capped and the demons arrived at Ruben." The Infinity Sword's hands shook with fury, obviously remembering the bloody massacre that ensued. "Luckily these three children were out in the forest playing when it occurred so they were safe. I however had to be protected because I wasn't strong enough to fight them!" He bared his teeth and stabbed the ground with both his swords. "Anne...Lowe...Hagus...all of them died." Elsword recounted the memory, a young Knight restrained to kill the demons as the more experienced warriors and even citizens died protecting him. "Anne was Anna's mother, as Lowe is Lowell's father and Hagus to Harry's."

"I hated being the one to inform those three the news once the demons left me alone for some goddamn reason." As he was nearing the end of his tale, the Infinity Sword grimaced as he continued on. "I almost broke down when I told them then hearing their crying and pleading screams for their loved ones to come back to life. I...I had to remind them that the dead don't come back with the living and they can no longer see them ever again." Elsword paused, staring at the soundly asleep children, and turned his attention back to the two. "Well we managed somehow right? I recreated the Red Knights from scratch and with the children and Eve swore vengeance against the Demons and purge Elrios of them."

As opposed to the stoic Eve, the Archangel solemnly took in the information quietly. After a few moments he offered a proposal. "Then let me join the Red Knights. As an Archangel I trained with the El Masters themselves and having an experienced fighter on your team helps accomplish both of our goals and betters our odds against the Demons."

"Well...you don't look like someone who would betray a comrade." Elsword thought about it.

"I believe that despite his angel and Nasod hybrid origins he would be an effective teammate." The Code Nemesis chimed in her two cents.

"Okay then you're in." The Infinity Sword decided with a bow of thanks from the Archangel. "But first we need to get some sleep-"

"Get out the way!" Raven called out as the three suddenly notice a dark-imbued bomb fall from the sky. The three immediately react and jumped away as it crash landed onto the campfire, obliterating it as well as a small radius, it's aftershock loud enough to wake up the children.

"H-Huh what's going on?"

"We're being attacked?"

"W-Who was it Elsword?" The three kids groggily woke up, immediately wiping their eyes devoid of sleep as they regrouped with the others.

"Tch. Show yourself Demon!" Elsword called out skyward. Unexpectedly he got his answer right away as the figure descended from her flight and landed on the ground.

Their attacker took the form of a teenage purplenette with her hair tied in twin tails above her head. She adorned a revealing purplish attire consisting of a tube top barely covering her chest and a skirt doing the same to her thighs. She cleared her throat as the silver metallic choker on her neck connecting to her long frilly purple sleeves didn't give a lot of breathing room. Twirling an axe-like staff with a bat design at the head, the girl tapped the ground with her thigh high boots before finally donning a smirk.

"Well I never expected this. It's been a while, Elsword and Eve." Her devilish lavender eyes gleamed in excitement, donning an amused smirk.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?!" Raven called out, getting his Gun Blade ready as the rest of the group armed their weapons.

"I'd like to know that too, Aisha the Void Princess." Eve responded, her golden eyes anguished at the sight of the girl.

* * *

**Me: AND CLIFFHANGER! Anyway I think I should get the story more interesting from here.**

**Tinker: -sobs over Ruben's past-**

**Mario: Wait a minute who let this kid in here? -points at Tinker-**

**Me: She's my new OC, say hi.**

**Mario/Crystal: ...hi**

**Me: Alright then, till next chapter folks!**


	3. Chapter 3: Reasons for Betrayal

**Me: Woohoo! Thanks to a certain person's constant time-constraints I finally updated this chapter! This is a pretty long one too so get ready to read through this XD!**

**Mario: Isn't it D-**

**Me: Nope nope don't say it. Anyway chapter start!**

* * *

_Chapter 3: Reasons for Betrayal_

"_Aisha!_" The Infinity Sword muttered in anger, glaring down the Void Princess as his equally metallic boots stamped the ground to ease some of the rage unsuccessfully. His fiery red eyes filled with anguish nearly succumbing him, taking the Code Nemesis to body block him from where he stood.

"Oh my Elsword." The purplenette snickered at the crimson haired teen's attention for her. "Did you all miss me already? I told you I'd come back." She twirled her staff more, summoning a petite bat to rest on her shoulder with a disturbingly cute cat smile.

"You..." Elsword started to spit out, only for Eve to clamp his mouth shut. Alternatively he chose to curse the Void Princess in muffles.

Aisha giggled darkly. "Aw you really did miss me Elsword." She narrowed her eyes. "Now then, maybe we should finish what we started."

Raven on the other hand stood spectator to these events, unsure whether to help Eve restrain the crimson teen or help the Infinity Sword possibly fight the purplenette. _Tch I can only watch and wait for orders. _The Archangel briefly thought, respecting Elsword's position as the leader.

"Pathetic. You can't control your anger even after she already left the team every time you see her Elsword." The Nasod Queen said her disgruntled thoughts aloud, removing her hand from his mouth without emotion.

"I agree!" He curtly responded to the Void Princess, advancing towards her while unsheathing his metallic sword and materializing the other. Without turning back, he gave orders to his teammates. "Eve! Get the kids _in_ there! You damn Angel, follow them! Aisha's all mine."

"How can you trust him with the children then Elsword?" Eve aggressively objected, knowing what the Infinity Sword means by "in".

"And that's why you're there in case he betrays us. Now get going dammit!" Elsword dismissed them with a raise of his materialized Conwell, summoning an array of small circle blades surrounding his sides, as if the swords on his pants came to life. With a nod the Code Nemesis convinced the three kids to follow her to the place, ordering Raven to watch the rear.

"But-But what if boss might need us?" Harry was the only one who resisted following Eve. With no time to deal with his shenanigans she walked up to him, only for the Archangel to persuade him instead.

"Lowell!" The black-winged angel addressed. "There are times when you just need a comrade to take care of his own business. This is only one of them but don't worry, you will see him again." Raven promised, the five of them now heading for the safe spot Elsword specified Eve.

"Good, now where were we?" The Infinity Sword turned his attention back to the Void Princess, the latter only visibly focused on the former.

Aisha hugged her staff as if it was a body pillow and grinned at Elsword. "My my so I'm all yours huh? Won't you please gentle with me, I know you're called the Infinity Sword for a reason." She purred, much to his irritation and her satisfaction.

"Shut your damn mouth." He liquidized his Conwell and flung one of the miniature sword blades straight at Aisha in a fit of blinded anger using his free hand. The purplenette swung her staff and conjured up a fireball, colliding with the flying sword. Angered, Elsword rapidly threw the rest while the Void Princess responded by summoning more fireballs, causing a mini explosion with every collision until the former ran out of blades to throw.

"A little hasty are we?" She teased him, laughing dominantly. "Why don't we finish what we started?" With a blink of an eye she disappeared from where she stood, now standing in front of Elsword. Aisha summoned blinding blue light to stun him and steal some of his MP, which she put to use by teleporting away from his reach.

"Tch, damn you." Elsword cursed under his breath from the cheap trick and chucks his once again materialized sword towards the Void Princess. Unlike the miniature sword blades, Conwell pierced through Aisha's predicted fireball and encircled the now trapped purplenette. His "Chaser" catching the target, the Infinity Sword pulled her within striking distance and began hacking at her.

SLASH! CRASH! RIP! He hacked and slashed her, leaving cuts and gashes through her body but not a single clothing stain. Aisha recovered surprisingly quickly as a faint blue outline catches Elsword's eye, the former catching the latter off guard ordering her now larger and fatter bat to latch on his head. "How's that big loaf chomping you Elbrat?" She laughed as he scrambled aimlessly while the bat continues to hump his head. Both hindering his movements and eyesight, the Infinity Sword throws the creature off with a roar as a red aura envelops his body. Sensing new power Elsword decides to exploit this power once more, summoning the circle of blades around him again.

He swung his sword vertically, creating an energy wave heading straight for Aisha. Using this chance as she blocks with a one-eyed spinning stone, the Infinity Sword rapidly cartwheeled his way to close the distance using his dual blades. Right as he was about to summon eight blades above him for an air strike, Aisha stuck her tongue out in fake injury. "Teehee, got'cha!" She taunted, her bat conjuring a dark energy powered prison to trap Elsword, afflicting him with Curses and sucking more magic.

"Did you really?" The Infinity Sword countered back, the black patch of his hair absorbing the dark energy and fueling him with more mana gained than lost. "Thanks for the meal by the way, hope you like my dessert!" He slashed open the cell with a slap from his metallic sword, sending Conwell forward to surround the purplenette once more. This time however it split into a frenzy of blades circling and dicing the Void Princess as she lays trapped in there with her mana powered shield on.

"Now then why don't we finish this." Summoning another Conwell the crimson teen sliced open a mini black hole pulling Aisha in once the frenzy of swords vanished. With a yell, Elsword performed a powerful cross slash sending the bruised and battered bat girl flying and tumbling through the grass.

"Heh...not bad...Elsword." The stubborn girl refused to give up, leaning on her staff for support as she continues to tease him.

"Why don't you give up and come with me?" He threatened. "I got some questions I want to ask you, and I'm sure Eve would love to find your arrogance dropped down several notches." Elsword advanced menacingly towards the trembling yet smiling girl with his two blades in hand.

"Plasma..." She muttered underneath her breath, bringing her outstretched hand in front of her against Elsword. "PLASMA CUTTER!" Immediately five separate plasma beams shot out through each of her fingers, making their way towards him.

"W-Wha!?" The Infinity Sword watched in shock as the Void Princess pulled the trick out of her staff.

* * *

"Y-You think uncle Elsword will be alright?" The scared Anne asked the Archangel seated right next to her. As the crimson leader instructed, the Nasod Queen led the five to the old Red Knights camp inside Ruben. Like the other worn down buildings the camp is on the verge to breaking down, a couple of wooden planks falling from the ascending floors and ceiling is nothing out of the ordinary (and nothing Eve's drones can't handle when the platforms around them start to collapse).

"Don't worry little one he'll be alright." Raven assured the child, at least thankful that one of the grown-ups (aka him) is visibly caring for the kids.

"I doubt it, after that explosion." Eve bluntly followed up, reminding the group of five of the aforementioned boom from the Tree of El. Once they saw it the black-winged angel was quick to assure the children that the Infinity Sword was safe from the blast.

"So...if he's dead does this mean Ms. Eve's the leader?" Lowell asked, pulling a question out of left field.

"He won't be dead!" Harry scolded his gray-haired peer. "Elsword's really strong so he'll definitely make it here alive!" The more idealistic of the boys hoped for the best.

_That explosion. _Raven inspected the blast carefully in his mind. _It looked like...a geyse-_

"OOF!" A person's entrance interrupted his train of thought. The battered and bruised purplenette crash-landed in front of them, nearly unable to move while in pain. Another person walked in after her, holding her now broken staff in two pieces.

"So you really did come back." Eve greeted the newcomer, as if his presence was expected.

"ELSWORD!" Immediately the three kids brightened up.

"You didn't harm them did you Angel?" The Infinity Sword scowled at Raven with a hint of concern.

"I'm an Archangel sent by the El Masters, do you _think _I would even consider hurting them?!" The black-winged angel replied almost sarcastically.

"Y...How did you..." The beaten Aisha weakly asked staring at the crimson teen, her boastful demeanor gone in exchange to a pitiful slave conversing with her master.

"Eve." Elsword ignored her and cocked his head in the Code Nemesis' direction. "Tend to Aisha's wounds but bind her afterward, there's a few questions she needs to answer."

"Do I look like one of those helpless female medics who can do nothing but stay in the sidelines and let the men do all the work?" The silver-haired Nasod retorted back, pissed off that she's delegated into the support role.

"And do I give a damn about what you think?" Elsword countered back. "Plus you're the only one here who can tend to others."

"Hmph!" Eve puffed hard through her nose. "Fine. Moby, Reby, follow me." She irritably commanded her two floating drones, dragging Aisha through her hair, to the Red Knight's old medical room next door.

"Gah...ow...ow..." The purplenette regained a bit of her new-found strength unsuccessfully prying off the Nasod's grip on her lavender hair.

"Oh quit your whining!" Eve silenced her "patient". "Just be thankful this is all you get for all these years you bitch!" The two disappeared into the room, Anne following as Eve's assistant (meanwhile the two kids were restrained each by the older men to avoid any perverted looks).

"Pfft." The Infinity Sword let out a chuckle. "Oh man she lets out her anger at the most hilarious times huh Angel?"

_Note to self._ Raven thought with a blank face, his black wings even sweating in fear. _Never piss off the Nasod Queen or you may end up with no babies. _The Archangel unconsciously scratched his hair and asked the crimson teen a question. "Elsword."

"What is it?" And back to his usual foul mood the Red Knights leader goes.

"What exactly was that explosion?" Raven asked what was going through his teammates' minds for a good half hour.

"So you want to know huh?" Elsword seating the two boys in front of him, the four of them in a circle for a story. "Well that explosion was one of my attacks, Unlimited Blade."

"So what happened after that?"

"The Angel with a Thousand Questions aren't you?" The Infinity Sword sighed yet answered anyway. "Anyway it went like this..."

* * *

"_W-Wha!?" The Infinity Sword watched in shock as the Void Princess pulled the trick out of her staff._

"_Great." Elsword muttered. "Guess there's only one way to do this." He held both of his swords and charged himself, dashing straight to the lasers in slow time. _

_Not yet...almost...and..._

"_NOW!" The crimson teen unleashed a fury of slashes against the plasma beams, slicing them away and pushing them back against Aisha in their power struggle._

"_W-WHAT THE?!" The Void Princess shrieked as he drew closer and closer._

"_YAAAAAUUUUUGGGGHHH!" Once they were face to face Elsword let out a raging scream, a flaming geyser-like aura surrounding him._

"_KYAAA!" The purplenette let out, defeated, as the geyser and the incoming fall left her a bruised and near bloody mess._

_Tap! The Infinity Sword landed on the ground perfectly harmless. He recalled Conwell and sheathed his sword, looming over to the bruised Void Princess reaching for her staff. "Y...You...How..." Aisha uttered out, craning her head backwards to stare up at Elsword._

_Crush! Elsword stomped her staff, breaking it into two. "You're coming with me." He placed one half of the staff on the sword rest in front of his shirt and held the other one, using his now free hand to tug the magician through her hair back to the Red Knights. Much to his chagrin and annoyance the Void Princess unsurprisingly winced and yelped in pain from him pulling her hair, only to make him pull even harder and her scream louder (do you get the cycle here?)._

* * *

"And that's the gist of what happened." The crimson teen wrapped up his story, solving the mystery as to why he found it amusing that Eve dragged Aisha through her purplish hair. Meanwhile on the other room, motoring sounds by Eve's drones, the Void Princess' complaints ("Tch, you're applying it too tight!), and the Code Nemesis' many qualms to "shut the fuck up, whiny bitch!" can be heard. The obvious misinterpretation isn't lost by Elsword and the two boys, causing the Archangel to smack his black wings against their faces to keep them on track (and their minds clean).

"Hmph, young boys these days." Raven sighed.

"Oh really?" Elsword narrowed his eyes. "How old are you then Angel?"

"I have no age since I reincarnated as an _Arch_angel." He reminded the Infinity Sword about his Arch status, a pet peeve he started developing. "However I was 27 when I first left this world as a human, that's around the start of the Demon Invasion."

"So a year ago then? 16 here and I don't give a damn about your higher status."

"Didn't think so." The black-winged angel ended the conversation as the three girls exited the room. As ordered Eve commanded her twin drones to join links together, binding Aisha's arms behind her back in a borrowed Red Knights uniform, while Anna walked beside the Nasod.

"I bound her oh mighty master." The Code Nemesis barked at Elsword sarcastically, placing her hands on her hips. "As a reward I have a few questions to ask her myself."

"And what would that be?" Curious, Elsword leaned in as Eve whispered her thoughts to him. "Tch I was gonna ask some of those questions. Guess I'll leave those to you."

"Very well." The Nasod nodded as the duo stared at the Void Princess.

"Angel." Elsword called for Raven, completely ignoring the latter's pet peeve. "Hold her down as well, we wouldn't want our lovely guest to run away."

"Tch..." _I vowed never to get close to any other woman after Seris... _The Archangel reluctantly squatted, his arms binding the purplenette magician, and backed up against a wall as the crimson and silver haired teens also sat down (the little boys are too busy bombarding Anna with questions about what happened in the room)

"Hey, Emo Angel." _Great, another trial to test my sanity. _Raven irritably thought as Aisha whispered to him. "Any tighter and this might actually become a turn on for me."

"Now then." The Infinity Sword started. "Eve and I have several questions for you now and don't even think of lying to us. Angel here might start feeling dirty any minute now." He threatened the magician.

"Hey!" Raven retorted back. "I already had a love in my past life, I have no intention for another." He countered back, only causing the Void Princess to tease him even more.

"Well I don't mind if it's with a big man like you." Aisha smirked, fidgeting around a bit in an effort to make the Archangel even more uncomfortable.

"Tch enough with the cliché lines you damn traitor!" Elsword put his face right up close to the magician's. "Now answer the damn questions!"

"Fine inquire all the information you want." The purplenette pouted, not getting to have her fun. "You still won't solve anything in the long run."

"Angel stay quiet until this is over, got it?" The Code Nemesis reminded him.

"Got it." He sighed, fulfilling his command while learning more of the rebellious group he joined up with.

"Hmph let's get this one out of the way." Elsword gripped the red collar of the magician's borrowed uniform and interrogated his victim. "What are your reasons for betraying us and joining with the Demons?"

"Ugh fine..." She sighed and donned a solemn face. "They have my parents locked up and forced me to- ngh..." The Void Princess winced in pain as both of Eve's drones bit on her arm in pain.

"I thought you'd pull a dirty trick like that, liar." The Nasod smirked, satisfied that it worked.

"How did they-"

"Remember that my drones are capable of sensory movement, including the human body. Next time you speak, try not moving your hands around so much." She explained Moby and Reby's mechanics and meaning of use as binding tool against Aisha's arms.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but well done Eve." Elsword genuinely thanked, leaving a look on disgust on the recipient's face.

"I didn't do it for you idiot. We just needed her to answer us truthfully that's all!" Eve countered, crossing her arms and looking away from him.

"Anyway answer the damn question. Why did you betray us?" The Infinity Sword repeated.

_Such a total lovebird scene right here..._ Aisha muttered, Raven the only one hearing her thoughts before she chuckled and spoke the truth. "My reasons for joining with them and abandoning you guys? I'm a Void Princess, a magician who studies the dark arts! If I went along with the Demons I'd have access for more power, power to finally exceed my former potential!"

SLAP! "Greed...is that it?" The Infinity Sword finished the magician's thought for her with a slap. "What happened to the contract you had with Angkor, that bat!?" He growled in a fit of rage. "Isn't he from a realm of darkness? Isn't that all the power you need?"

"But being with creatures of darkness amplifies them! I can already feel the power...power to burst beyond my former limitations!" The Void Princess' lavender eyes grew wide remembering the exchange of more dark energy for siding with the Demons.

SLAP! This time Eve intervened. "That's enough out of you for that question, we still have more to ask you before this becomes an hour long monologue of you fangirling over obtaining more strength." She silenced the purplenette, starting up another question. "Now, how did you of all people get in good terms with them?" The Nasod Queen asked.

"Simple, Angkor has connections." She answered, summoning the bat to rest on her shoulder with no strength (due to her broken staff). "He's the King of Darkness after all, that's how those Demons are interested in me at all."

"Hmph." Elsword nasally let out his discontent. "And here I thought they only want you for those clothes you have to wear to wield the dark energy."

"Oh that?" She smirked. "That's simply bonus points if they happen to be infatuated with my body. It just makes it easier to control them and move up the ranks!"

_With someone with as much self confidence as her, I'd expect someone to do as such. Especially if that's what it took to survive. _The Archangel contemplated, remembering the imprisoned captives he was sent to kill back in his past Mercenary life.

"Okay then out of curiosity," Eve asked once more. "Even if you made a contract with a demonic bat, you're still a human. From what I recall the power of the El provides the oxygen the beings here breathe in order to live, a substance us Nasods don't require in order to function. If the El Shard here in Ruben is the only one remaining, how are you living from within the Demon's territory?"

"That's simple." She grinned deviously and nudged the bat rested on her shoulder, who flew in front of her. _"Angkor, ego præcipio tibi! Dona mihi animam meam Gemma!" _The Void Princess commanded, as if chanting a spell. The chibi creature nodded and spat out a gem-like glass container with a blue orb inside, floating suspended in mid-air.

"What the?" Raven pondered what the crimson and silver-haired teens were also thinking. "What's this blue orb?"

"My soul." Aisha answered without hesitation.

"WHAT?!" Elsword and the Archangel both shouted in unison, shocked.

"That explains it." The Code Nemesis shut the two men up before they go over "petty morals over the containment of a girl's soul", at least in her viewpoint. "Very well I think I'm done here. Moby, Reby, stay there on the bitch's arms until I say otherwise. I'll attend to the children." Eve exited the interrogation, leaving the Infinity Sword with the rest of the questions he planned.

"It's really useful you know. Keeping my soul clean from the darkness in a nifty little container really expands my vacation spots!" Aisha went over the effects of her spiritual self in the gem. "Plus it helps ease the pain during fights." She smirked, revealing why her clothes didn't rip during her bout against the crimson teen in front of her.

"Alright since you know so much about them..." Elsword cleared his throat and started on the fourth question. "Who are the Commanders of the Demons and where exactly are they stationed?"

"I'm sorry that's pretty vague- ngh!" Once again Eve's drones nipped at the magician's arms.

"Okay then. Who are the Strongholds of those bastards and where are they?"

"Hmph alright then." The Void Princess gave up avoiding the subject and started explaining the big guys in the Demon tyranny. "First up is the Shadow Stinger. He's the result of multiple Shadow Port type demons merged together and utilizes his hedgehog-like body to spike his victims to death. Since he's considered a mere pawn compared to the others he's located in Elder, probably in the ruins of Wally's Castle."

"Next is the brains yet physically weakest of the group, Bizarre Conrad. Trust me it's a really, really weird name. Well he rides this mechanical floating thingy which he allows to input his commands over any being the laser beams in his laser-powered helmet. In short he has the ability to have Absolute Obedience over any living thing that comes into contact with a beam of his. Conrad resides in Bethma, having control over the entire Lizardmen tribe."

"Bobosse, a fatass demon with a large hammer, is the brute force of them. What he lacks in brains AND speed he makes up for in power. With that hammer of his I wouldn't be surprised if he compensates for something else as well. Anyway there's not much to talk about this dumbass. All he does all day is stay in Altera and terrify the little Ponggos that obviously don't stand a chance against it."

"Okay here's where things get interesting. The ultimate robot in Elrios, Victor, is the Frankenstein-esque creation the last two Demon Commanders created thanks to the enslavement of the major alchemists throughout Elrios. Unlike the others his placement is unique, as he's made from a dead Abomination of a former being way back before the El even arrived in the continent. Since he's already a dead corpse, elemental statuses don't affect him at all so you'll need to rely on pure strength. He's in Feita, taming the great Ice Wolf Berthe as a pet in the Altar of Dedication."

"Chloe is the most skilled dark elf in Elrios, essentially a demon-race variant of the Elven race, and the second-in-command. She's like Rena, who already left for her world of Elves, except her fighting style resembles more of a Wind Sneaker with a dagger unlike the green elf's Night Watcher title. Because of her quickness don't be surprised if she evades a few of your attacks from time to time and capitalizing upon it. Chloe is stationed in Velder, having the Velder Knights over the palm of her hands."

After Chloe's information both the Infinity Sword and Archangel bared their teeth for very personal reasons.

"The Velder Knights?!" Elsword questioned first. "What about Sis?!" He worried for his older sibling like a lost little lamb.

"Oh so your sister is in the ranks?" Aisha smirked in dominance. "Chances are she's forced to bend to the dark elf's will."

"Velder...I guess I must confront my past after all." Raven sighed in defeat, no choice but to defeat his past mistakes in order to save Elrios.

"Okay and the last person?" Elsword veered the conversation back on topic.

"Ran, the Swordsman of Darkness, is the absolute leader of the Demons. Rumors are that he was once a noble young man in a far away land called Sander, however the Moon El corrupted the darkness within his heart and transformed him into the cold and brutal commander Ran. He wields a black sword with the ability to imbue itself with both the hottest flames and the blackest darkness. The Swordsman reigns supreme in Hamel Castle."

"Hamel..." The Infinity Sword trailed off.

"So this means I'm done here right?" Aisha hoped.

"No...I just need you to answer one more question."

"Don't you already have all you need?" The black-winged angel questioned the crimson leader. "All we need to do is take down these so-called Commanders in order to free Elrios from the cage of darkness it's forced to flee from."

"What happened to the others?" Elsword questioned one last time.

"The...others?" The Void Princess feigned with a clueless face.

"Don't screw with me." Elsword's eyes flared up and gripped her collar. "You know who I mean. Rena, Chung, Ara."

"Oh them!" Again the magician pretended to remember about her former comrades. "You already knew that Rena already returned to her world. Plus since Ara's the younger sister of Ran she's the captive in Hamel."

"And Chung?!"

"Heh." She smirked. "It's a long story..."

* * *

A young blonde man clad in white armor opened the grand two-door entry to the Throne Room of Hamel Castle. As he advanced slowly towards the black creature seated in the chair he polished his twin revolvers nicknamed the "Silver Shooters" clean of fresh blood using his gloves. The man reloaded a cannonball from his giant cannon nicknamed "Destroyer", the used up ammunition blunt and stained with dark crimson. He reached the edge of the throne by going down on one knee, his open right hand over his heart as he bowed down with a smile.

"Mission complete, your Highness." The teenaged blonde confirmed to his master, his cerulean eyes sparkling in pride.

"Excellent work White Wolf." The creature, a dark-tanned demon with waist-long white hair, blood red eyes, and demonic horns, congratulated the Assassin with a gruff yet gratuitous voice.

"I give thanks for your praise O Lord." White Wolf, the codename of the young man, thanked Ran, the client who hired him. A small blue-green crystal fragment hung from a necklace wore from within his tough armor.

"I don't require that high of such an approval young man." Ran shrugged off any claims of being compared to a Lord or God. "I'm merely complimenting you for your abilities, which have proved fruitful for my plans."

"I understand my master." He didn't let up the chivalrous act.

"Anyway your next target is the lone survivor of a remote town, Ruben. From what I heard from sources I don't wish to disclose his name is Elsword, the new crimson teen leader of the now pathetic Red Knights." As Ran disclosed the Assassin's new target, the latter's eyes widened slightly in hesitation as the former didn't pay attention.

"Yes your Majesty. I shall take my leave now." The blonde man stood up and gave one last bow of thanks before exiting the room.

_He's proving very useful lately. _The Swordsman of Darkness thought amusingly to himself, his eyes intent on the young Assassin as he left the demon's presence. _A man who kills his targets quickly and with precision, without a single trace left behind. An Assassin who doesn't discriminate on who he's ordered to kill whether it's women, children, or even his own father. Watching him face his former comrade is sure to be an interesting battle._

_The White Wolf of Hamel, the Deadly Chaser Chung!_

Chung closed the doors behind him and sighed in relief. "Finally. After all the innocent blood I shed I'm finally deemed worthy enough to find one of the others again." He revealed his true persona with muttered thoughts. "I'll rid myself of this slave act once and for all. This Assassin's last target shall be you Ran!" He clenched his fist in anger and briefly glanced at the Throne Door with an anguished expression.

"But first," The Deadly Chaser started walking down the grand hallway, "I need to make a visit to a certain someone."

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**Me: Aaaand obligatory cliffhanger woo! Bet none of you expected him to be introduced this way huh? If any of you were wondering what Aisha chanted in Latin, it's "Angkor, I command you! Give me my life gem!".**

**Mario: Oh great another reason for fans to harp on you to update on this story more.**

**Me: Yep, anyway that's all for now! If you liked it, leave a review and let me know what you think :D! For now see you guys later~**


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